


Elysian Night

by boston_sized_city



Category: An Atompunk Opera: The New Albion Guide to Analogue Consciousness - Shapera
Genre: Canon Compliant, I refuse to believe he isn't, I'm going to make that a real tag one of these days, M/M, Yasser Latef Is A Good Dad, for a single joke, the canon compliant is a 'mostly' bc i messed with like one thing, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26667616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boston_sized_city/pseuds/boston_sized_city
Summary: Elysium isn't what they thought it would be. And now they can't go back.
Relationships: Adrian/Lee Morgan
Kudos: 3





	Elysian Night

**Author's Note:**

> I posted the first draft of this on tumblr but here's the finished version!  
> Basically me being sad about GTAC and writing about the VPs trying to get out of Elysium, I'm sorry in advance.
> 
> CW for major character death (it's Adrian) (I'm sorry) and (minor) descriptions of injury and blood.

They should have stopped trying after the second girl didn’t go through. Lupe near exploded, disappearing into the blackness that should have been home. No one saw her die, but everyone heard her scream.

“That should have worked,” Yasser Latef said, looking around at the large group of roughed-up Voodoopunks. Some were scared, some upset, some resigned. One of the Blood Red Dogs, the group of fierce policemen accompanying them in Elysium, was in tears. He was holding something in his hand- A scarf, one last gift from the girl who had just died. “She should have gone through. Someone has to go through!”

“I’ll go,” a young voice spoke up from the back of the large crowd. All eyes turned to the boy, most full of doubt. But Adrian, their youngest and smallest, stood his ground, his eyes full of reckless determination. “I’ll go,” he repeated, louder.

The boy next to him grabbed his arm firmly. “ _ No _ ,” Lee said, shaking his head. “You’re not going. It’s  _ suicide, _ and I’m not letting you go and get yourself killed.” He pulled Adrian against his side, the hold on his arm strong and protective. 

Adrian looked up at him. “Lee, someone has to. Maybe- Maybe it’ll work this time.” He smiled, seemingly hopeful, which had been rare lately. His split and bloodied lip stood out, matching his black eye and the bruises along his face and body, where he’d been beaten bloody by the Elysian Angels. It seemed unfitting for him, if you took in his neon pink-dyed hair and his bright eyes.

“What if it  _ doesn’t. _ ” Lee was firm, refusing to lose another friend, another person he loved. Refusing to lose  _ Adrian.  _ They were both young, the youngest of the Voodoopunks at only eighteen, and Lee was unwilling to lose the person he cared about most. He didn’t move his hand, keeping his hold on Adrian’s arm as he went silent, thinking. 

“We’ll just… Figure out another way,” he said after a minute, looking down at the unstable ground by his feet. He dug his heel into it and tried not to cry. He couldn't cry, not now, not after he'd done so much to prove he was just as capable as everyone else. He had to be the strong one. He always did.

Yasser Latef looked over then, shaking his head slightly. “The only other way is through the gate,” he said, his voice pained and tired. “The portals are our only chance. No matter how small that chance is.” He seemed just as resigned as half the rest of the group, looking no less reluctant than Lee was. “If Adrian wants to go, that’s up to him. But we need to give it another shot.”

He clearly didn’t want the boy to go, either. But no one else was volunteering, and they didn’t have the luxury of playing it safe and not taking that risk. If Adrian didn't try, the chance of any of them surviving this was limited, anyway. 

“Not with him!” Lee yelled back, voice breaking on the ' _him_.' His bruised fist was curled tight around Adrian’s wrist as he held him close. He glared at their leader, the one who was supposed to be on their side.  _ His  _ side. “Not if you’re risking him! Why don’t  _ you  _ go back? Or send one of those bloody Dogs! Send back Hernandez, he’s annoying.” There was a weak cough of protest from where the Dogs were standing, but Lee didn’t care to notice. “You’re not putting Adrian through one of those death traps! I’m not letting you!”

“Lee…” Adrian tugged himself away from Lee, managing to pry his fingers off of his arm after some difficulty, his eyes shining with fresh tears. He knew it wasn’t going to work, but he remained undeterred. His voice wavered only slightly. “I’m going. No one is forcing me to go. And  _ no one  _ is forcing me to stay. Not even you.”

But Lee had already turned away, unable to let anyone see that he'd started to cry himself. It was useless; his shoulders were shaking too much to hide the quiet tears. He only said one word, putting so much desperation into it that it sounded like a full chorus.  _ “Please.” _

Adrian touched his shuddering shoulder lightly, before gently grabbing it and turning Lee back to face him. “Hey, it’ll work. I promise. New Albion is just past that portal.” He smiled again. A soft, scared smile. He was terrified, but he had to do this, for everyone. For Lee. Even if Lee didn’t actually see  _ how _ it was for him yet. “I’ll see you there, alright?”

Lee looked at him, swallowing thickly. It didn't get rid of the lump in his throat. “If this doesn’t work, I will literally never forgive you,” he said quietly, taking Adrian’s hand off his shoulder and holding it, squeezing it tight like if he let go Adrian would float away. “I’ll see you at home.” He was crying more now, tears sliding past his lips, but he tried to smile. It was small, and sad, but he held it, and dried his eyes.

“You know you will.” Adrian gave his hand a weak, reassuring squeeze, his thumb brushing over Lee’s fingers gently. “I love you.”

Lee tugged on his hand, pulling him closer to kiss him. His free hand buried itself in Adrian's hair, keeping him there and close. Minutes passed before either of the boys thought to pull away. Lee finally did, however reluctantly. “I love you, too,” he said softly, letting go of Adrian’s hand and stepping back from him, dropping both arms. His eyes filled up with tears again and he stood stiff, his arms at his sides and his bleary eyes on his love in front of him.

Adrian looked at Latef and nodded, and Latef nodded back slightly. Then Adrian glanced back at Lee. For a moment, he seemed frozen in time, his blue eyes bright and shining, a soft smile on his face. Lee stared back at him, the picture becoming a snapshot in his mind. A sight he would never forget seeing, a sight that would forever haunt his memory. 

Adrian brushed his hair back with an anxious, shaky sigh, and looked ahead, stepping forward. No one heard him say goodbye as he walked through.

Everyone heard the scream. The hoarse, sharp scream of pain. And then, silence. Eerie, awful, horrible silence. Dead silence. 

Lee jolted immediately, moving forward towards the failed portal. A Dog grabbed him, holding him back. Lee’s eyes were wide, glassed over with tears and shock and grief. There was too much pain in them, more than any eighteen-year-old should ever feel. More than anyone should.  _ “No! Adrian!”  _ He yelled hoarsely, desperation in his shaking voice. _ “ _ Let me go! _ Adrian! _ ” He struggled for a minute, before finally giving up and going still in the policeman’s arms, falling to his knees on the ground as the policeman kept hold of him; for comfort or for fear of him following the other boy.

And he screamed. He screamed for a long time, until his throat hurt and his lungs felt like caving in. And then he just laid limp, sobbing. “Shut it off,” he managed as soon as he could speak, between heaved sobs and ragged breaths.

Latef stepped forward, sympathy and grief in his own eyes. “Lee-”

_ “Shut it off!” _ Lee yelled. It burned his throat and stung his eyes. Everything hurt. Everything felt as if it would never feel okay again. Tears stained his bruised and bloodied face, his eyes dark with pain. He dropped his head against the chest of the man holding him back, his sobs going silent as he shook.

Everyone was staring at him in shock. Then they all turned to Latef. No one knew what to do, but they could all see the horror that had just happened. And now one of the two brightest boys, the child that always had bright eyes and a wide smile, the kid with his neon colored hair and his hand always holding another, was gone. In his place was a broken teenager, a small, shattered boy who looked as if he would never get up again.

So they shut down the portals.


End file.
